Analysis Of Because I Could Not Stop For Death

Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson gives insight on mortality from the perspective of the immortal. Death is personified as a gentle man who eases the speaker into the afterlife. The poem is full of intricate and subtle symbolism revolving around mortality and the world in which the speaker is leaving. Death is introduced early in the poem, in lines 1-2. It is used as an extended metaphor throughout the poem. Death is first personified when it shows “him” stopping for someone. It is almost as if the speaker views death as a suitor coming to pick her up for a soothing nighttime carriage ride. Because death is driving along slowly, I can infer that the way the speaker is dying is gradual. She is possibly dying from illness, or even old age. In line 9, the “he” referring to death is changed to “we”, suggesting that the speaker has finally died. At the end of the poem, death brings the speaker “home” which I believe is a symbol for her final resting place. The speaker seems comforted by this home. Besides death, there is symbolism found throughout the poem. The “carriage” mentioned in lines 3-4 holds death and the speaker suggesting that it is no ordinary carriage,
The quatrains are not perfectly rhymed, yet still follow a metrical pattern. She demonstrated a beautiful and subtle use of iambic meter. Furthermore, she uses anaphora when changing the repeated phrase “We passes,” to “We paused.” This ties the poem together and aids in the poem’s progression simultaneously. Dickinson also capitalizes many nouns, making them stand out and adding emphasis. She makes use of dashes to add pauses and guide the reader along through separate lines. Overall, these techniques make for a lulling and relaxing reading experience. I can almost envision the sound of a horse carriage and the melodic clanking of horse hooves on the ground while reading this